The graduation gap

Ohio has one of the top high-school graduation rates in the nation for white students, but one of the lowest for African Americans. The racial gap - fourth largest among the states - must be closed.

Across Ohio, 80 percent of high school students get a diploma, according to the U.S. Department of Education. But 85 percent of white students graduate, while only 59 percent of their black classmates join them at commencement.

Poor students in Ohio also have a harder time making it through school: Only 65 percent complete high school.

Federal data also tracked the graduation rates of other minorities, students with disabilities, and non-native English speakers. The 2010-11 school year was the first in which states used common, more-rigorous criteria to count graduates.

Life doesn't get easier for black high school graduates who want to go to college. Federal data show that black college students - especially males - are less likely to finish their undergraduate degree than their white peers. Recent data suggest that fewer than half of black students who enter college receive a degree, compared to more than 60 percent of white students.

Students who don't finish high school are condemned to low-paying jobs with few benefits and little hope of advancement. When one race is disproportionately represented among nongraduates, the result is economic segregation.

High-quality education and high graduation rates are necessary to compete in the global economy, attract businesses, and create good jobs. Ohio can't afford to leave any group behind.

- The (Toledo) Blade

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The graduation gap

Ohio has one of the top high-school graduation rates in the nation for white students, but one of the lowest for African Americans. The racial gap ? fourth largest among the states ? must be closed.